


Mens et Manus

by celtic7irish



Series: MCU Kink Bingo Fills 2017 [9]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Author takes a lot of liberties with age, Bi Tony, Building Friendship, College AU, Consensual Underage Sex, Consensual underage sex with an adult (Grant Ward is 19), Friends With Benefits, Grant is a bastard, Hand Jobs, M/M, MIT years, Mentions of rough sex, Off-screen drinking and intoxication, Oral Sex, Straight Rhodey, Underage (Rhodey is 17), Underage (Tony is 15)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-04-19 13:59:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14238789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: The first time Tony showed up in the dorm room with a red cheek and a limp, Rhodey thought little of it.  The new kid was loud and obnoxious and had a serious knack for saying exactly the wrong thing to exactly the wrong people.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the MCU Kink Bingo Square N5: James Rhodes x Tony Stark
> 
>  
> 
> Please be warned: in this fic, Tony is a freshman. He entered MIT at 15. Rhodey is also a freshman and is 17. Grant Ward is a sophomore, and is 19 years old (he did not get early admission). Please be aware of your own mental state and possible triggers. I did my best to tag appropriately.

The first time Tony showed up in the dorm room with a red cheek and a limp, Rhodey thought little of it.  The new kid was loud and obnoxious and had a serious knack for saying exactly the wrong thing to exactly the wrong people.  So after making sure the kid was okay, he’d scolded him for getting into fights. Tony had just rolled his eyes and curled up in bed, turning his back to Rhodey, who had been studying while he waited for his wayward roommate to return.  At fifteen, Tony was the youngest student at MIT, and it had fallen to Rhodey to babysit him.

 

It actually wasn’t so bad, once Rhodey realized that most of Tony’s mouthing off was a defense mechanism.  He was incredibly intelligent - smarter than Rhodey, and certainly smarter than most of their professors. He was full of snark and sass and a sly sense of humor that had Rhodey hiding a grin behind his fist more than once.  Tony always looked smug when he succeeded in amusing Rhodey.

 

Still, when he came home hurt because he couldn’t help but mock his elders, especially those that were much bigger than him, Rhodey found his patience put to the test.  He liked the kid, but Tony wasn’t exactly humble. Or quiet.

 

Rhodey had dismissed the incident by morning as the two of them headed off to their first classes, parting ways when they reached the computer labs.  Rhodey had shop class, and Tony had architectural blueprinting, or whatever the professors were calling it these days.

 

A week later, Tony stumbled into the dorm room with glazed eyes and reeking of cheap alcohol.  Rhodey bit back the rush of angry words that wanted to come out as Tony all but collapsed on the bed.  “You should take a shower and get some water,” he advised. Tony flipped him the finger, and he scowled.  “Fine, but don’t blame me when you’ve got a hangover during your exam tomorrow,” he told Tony. The kid made a rumbling growling sound, and Rhodey got up with a sign, moving over to the little mini fridge and pulling out a bottled water.  He tossed it onto the bed, where it rolled and came to rest pressed against Tony’s hip, where a batch of bare skin was peeking out of his shirt.

 

Tony startled at the cold, moving his arm from across his eyes and glancing at the water bottle before looking up at Rhodey, who just raised his eyebrows expectantly.  “Well?” he asked.

 

Tony blinked, then picked up the water bottle and sat up with a quiet groan.  “Thanks,” he mumbled, cracking it open.and taking a sip, grimacing. 

 

“Sorry,” Rhodey apologized gruffly.  “I don’t have any room temperature ones left.”  He reached in and pulled out another bottle, setting it on Tony’s bedside table on a coaster.  Tony could have it later, after he’d gotten some sleep. He’d undoubtedly need to rinse his mouth out anyhow.

 

“I’m gonna go shower,” Rhodey told him. “Get some sleep, okay?”  He waited for Tony’s grudging nod before grabbing his stuff and walking into the bathroom, grateful that Tony’s dad has basically paid the tuition of seven students so the two of them had the apartment - and a bathroom - to themselves.  

 

By the time he had finished his shower and brushed his teeth, Tony was asleep, sprawled out on top of the covers on his stomach, his face turned away from the light coming from Rhodey’s desk lamp.  Rhodey hesitated for a moment before sighing and moving forward to try and make Tony a bit more comfortable. Carefully, he slipped off Tony’s sneakers and jacket. He eyed the jeans for a moment, grimacing, but gave in to the inevitable.  As much as he’d rather not deal with a drunk, sleepy Tony, denim was not comfortable to sleep in, and Tony would bitch in the morning if Rhodey left him like that.

 

“Hey, man,” he muttered, gripping Tony’s shoulder and giving it a light shake.  “You’ve gotta get those jeans off, or you’re gonna be really uncomfortable in the morning.”  Tony just groaned and swatted half-heartedly in Rhodey’s general direction before smashing his face into the pillow and doing his best to ignore his insistent roomate.  “Tony,” Rhodey sighed. “I’m serious. Come on.” 

 

He rolled a resisting Tony over onto his side.  “Dammit, Tony,” he said. “Qut makin’ this difficult, would you?”  He reached for the buttons on Tony’s jeans, hoping that if he at least got it started, Tony would catch on and help him.

 

Fingers wrapped around his wrist the moment he brushed against Tony’s stomach.  The kid had a surprisingly strong grip. Rhodey looked up to see Tony peering at him fuzzily.  “Too tired righ’now,” Tony mumbled. “Tes’ tomorrow.”

 

Rhodey blinked.  “Yeah, I know,” he said.  “But trust me, you don’t want to sleep in these jeans.  You’ll regret it.”

 

It seemed to take Tony a minute to puzzle out his words, but once he did, his hands moved to his jeans, fingers fumbling at the buttons.  After several failed attempts, Rhodey caught his wrists and he stilled. “Let me help,” Rhodey said quietly. “I promise, your virtue will remain intact.”

 

Tony’s laughter was almost bitter.  “Little late for that,” he muttered, but didn’t protest Rhodey’s help, lifting his hips obligingly so Rhodey could pull his jeans down his legs and off his ankles, leaving him in just his boxers and t-shirt.  Rhodey didn’t look at the other boy as he tugged the comforter out from under him and pulled it up, tucking Tony in.

 

“Thanks, Mom,” Tony muttered sarcastically.

 

Rhodey just rolled his eyes.  “Get some sleep,” he told Tony.  Tony rolled over onto his side, turning hs back to Rhodey and curling up so that only the top of his head showed above the comforter.

 

Rhodey watched him for a moment to make sure he wasn’t going to move again, then made his way to his own bed, turning out the light as he went and enveloping them in darkness before crawling into bed himself.

 

And when morning rolled around, and Tony whined about his hangover, Rhodey very carefully didn’t tell him “I told you so.”  He also didn’t mention anything about the finger-shaped bruises he’d seen on Tony’s hips. It wasn’t any of his business. Really.

 

Maybe if he said it often enough, he’d actually believe it.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ugh, this sucks,” Tony grumbled, dropping his backpack to the floor before tossing himself on his bed and scowling up at the ceiling.  Rhodey, who was just coming out of the shower after an impromptu game of flag football with a group of friends, paused in the doorway, then shrugged and continued to his closet.

 

“What happened this time?” he asked, curious despite himself.  As far as he was aware, Tony had actually managed to not get into a fight with classmates or an argument with his professors in nearly two weeks.  Which meant that something new had happened.

 

“I have to go some stupid two-hour educational session,” Tony answered, making finger quotes around the educational session part.  “I wasn’t even drinking!”

 

It took Rhodey a moment to piece together a conversation between some of his classmates earlier that day.  He dropped his head with a sigh. “You were at the party?” he asked.

 

“Yup,” Tony told him, popping the ‘p’ at the end.  “Grant invited me.”

 

Rhodey turned to look at Tony, narrowing his eyes.  “Grant? As in Grant Ward?” he asked.

 

Tony gave him an eloquent look.  “Do you know any other Grant’s on campus?” he retorted.

 

“Only the ones I earned,” Rhodey answered lightly.  Tony snorted, a small smile tipping his lips upwards.  “But seriously, man, why do you hang around those guys?”  Grant and Brock were the kind of guys that Rhodey tried to avoid.  If they weren’t clobbering their opponents on the playing field or picking on the freshmen, they were drinking and partying and generally causing a ruckus.  Rhodey was pretty sure a few of that crew were responsible for the graffiti that had decorated the walls of the gymnasium about two months back.

 

Tony shrugged.  “Somethin’ to do, I guess,” he said, which wasn’t really an answer, and they both knew it.

 

Rhodey sighed as he pulled on his sleep pants, but let it drop.  Tony’s choice in friends drove him half out of his mind, but as long as the kid kept his grades up, Rhodey got to stay on as his roommate, along with all the perks.  Still, he was pretty sure guys like Rumlow and Ward didn’t want Tony for his charming personality. And knowing them, they’d bailed as soon as the raid had started. Leaving Tony holding the bag, so to speak.

 

“You have to talk to an officer, too?” he asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.  He’d learned quickly that Tony didn’t take well to criticism, even when he knew he’d been in the wrong.  The boy would just clam up and scowl so hard Rhodey could practically  _ hear _ it.

 

“Yeah,” Tony grumbled, “already did that. Got a smack on the wrist.  And I have to take this class.” He frowned. “I’m going to miss ‘bot club,” he grumbled.  Rhodey could hear Tony’s disappointment. The ‘bot club’, as he called it, had been Tony’s idea.  From what Rhodey had gathered from his roommate’s stories, the ‘bot club was basically a bunch of engineering nerds who built remote controlled robots and then set them to destroying each other. It actually sounded like a lot of fun, if he was honest.

 

“Yeah?” he asked casually.  “Want me to go as your substitute?”

 

There was a moment of silence behind him, and Rhodey glanced over his shoulder.  Tony was staring at him, his brows furrowed as he considered Rhodey, who fidgeted.  He had only been joking, but Tony seemed to have taken it seriously.

 

“Do you even know how to build a robot?” Tony asked doubtfully.

 

Rhodey rolled eyes.  “Do I know how?” he scoffed.  “Of course I do! Just ‘cause you’re a mechanical engineer doesn’t mean you’re the only one who gets to build cool stuff.”  He pointed to himself. “I’m a goddamn rocket scientist, is what I am,” he told Tony.

 

Tony frowned for a moment before his expression cleared. “Oh, right.  Aerospace engineering,” he said. “You want to build planes.”

 

“I want to fly planes,” Rhodey corrected.  “But yes.”

 

Tony narrowed his eyes.  “Then why aren’t you in ‘bot club?” he asked.

 

Rhodey laughed.  “Because I’m in Tech Club,” he pointed out.  “Which, I’d like to add, is actually an official club.” 

 

Tony dismissed that with a wave and a scoff.  “Robots are better,” he informed Rhodey loftily.  Rhodey couldn’t disagree with his logic. “It’ll be fine.  Jane knows what to do,” He paused. “But you could come by sometime, if you’d like,” he added casually, his eyes shifting to stare at the ceiling.  “I mean, you don’t have to, of course, but maybe if you get bored in tech club.”

 

Rhodey recognized Tony’s offer for what it was, and he smiled.  “Yeah, sure,” he agreed. “I mean, I’d love to. D’you think I could maybe build a robot of my own?”  

 

Tony sat up and grinned widely.  “Of course you could!” he told him.  “There’s plenty of parts still. And we have all the software programming you could possibly need,” he said, excited now, his hands moving as he talked.

 

Rhodey smiled.

 

“Sounds like fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of MIT's policy on underage alcohol violations:
> 
> The minimum sanction for a first offense (Category I ) of underage possession or consumption of alcohol will involve a face-to-face meeting with an Institute officer where a verbal warning will be given, plus a two-hour educational session on alcohol. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I have no idea what Rhodey's actual field of study was at MIT, so I made him a rocket scientist, because why not?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: There is a mention of sex with goats in this chapter. Just as a joke, but it's in there. In case that's something that bothers you. For a brief chapter summary, skip to the bottom for notes.

Rhodey was heading back to the dorms after a late-night movie with a couple of the guys from class when he heard the argument.  He debated walking past - it really wasn’t any of his business - but sitting by when someone might be in trouble wasn’t in his nature.  And so he followed the frantic voices around the side of a building, then paused. Grant Ward was standing just off the pathway between the two buildings, and he had somebody pinned up against the wall.  His weight shifted, and Rhodey caught a glimpse of Tony, his face twisted in irritation as Ward leaned in and nuzzled at his cheek.

 

“C’mon, Tony,” Ward rumbled.  “It’s not that late. And it’s not like you don’t enjoy our time together.”

 

Tony grunted.  “Yeah, did you forget our conversation from five minutes ago?” he retorted.  “Really, Ward, it was fun while it lasted. But we’re through now. Done. Broken up.  So how about you just leave me alone?”

 

Rhodey was moving, but he could already tell that it was going to be too little, too late. Ward had his fist cocked back, his eyes narrowed angrily.  Brown eyes met Rhodey’s, and Tony gave him a small, sardonic grin as Ward’s fist headed for his face. Tony ducked, Ward yelled, and Rhodey tackled him, bearing the other man to the ground.  “Shit!” Tony yelped, bolting away from the wall as Rhodey scrabbled backwards. He considered himself to be fit, but Ward still had a good thirty pounds on him. And he fought dirty.

 

He didn’t bother to hang around.  Grabbing Tony’s arm, he took off, pulling the protesting kid behind him.  “Don’t be stupid,” Rhodey snapped. “You want him to kick your ass? Or worse?”

 

Tony snorted.  “Why do you care?” he retorted angrily.  “Besides, a beating isn’t exactly what he had in mind for my ass.”  There was something odd in his tone, almostly coy, and Rhodey bit his tongue.

 

Ward didn’t chase after them, and soon enough, the two of them were back in their dorm room.  The moment the door shut behind them, Rhodey whirled on Tony, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and shoving him none-too-gently against the door.  “Are you crazy?” he hissed. “What the hell are you doing dating a guy like that?”

 

Tony rolled his eyes.  “We’re not dating,” he informed him.  “It’s just stress relief.”

 

Rhodey stared at him, his stomach dropping out as realization set in. “Oh my god,” he said faintly.  “You’re sleeping with him.” It wasn’t like he hadn’t suspected it before, but to have it confirm made something twist hard in his stomach.

 

Tony glared.  “I  _ was _ sleeping with him,” he corrected.  “And you can just take your homophobia and shove it up your ass.”

 

Rhodey was sorely tempted to try and shake some sense into the kid, but he settled for scowling instead.  “Look, I don’t care if you like guys, girls, or goats,” he growled, “but Ward is a bully. He’s also eighteen.”  He felt like that should matter, somehow, beyond the fact that there were laws regarding the age of consent and sexual intercourse between adults and minors.  

 

Tony was staring at him oddly again, and Rhodey just glared, ignoring the way his face heated.  A reluctant smile pulled at Tony’s mouth. “Goats?” he asked. “Really?”

 

Rhodey opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, but nothing came out, and Tony’s grin widened.  He started giggling. “Your face!” he crowed. “You look like you just bit into a lemon.”

 

He got a familiar gleam in his eye, and Rhodey shook his head, trying to cut him off at the pass.  “No, Tony, don’t - “ but it was too late.

 

“Sour patch!” Tony crowed.  Rhodey covered his eyes with his free hand and released Tony, who leaned back against the door, still chuckling.

 

“Must you?” Rhodey asked plaintively.  “Three nicknames wasn’t enough?” He was pretty sure Tony spent most of his downtime coming up with horrible nicknames for people.  There was this one strawberry-blonde sophomore, Virginia Potts. Tony called her Pepper. Rhodey hadn’t asked; he didn’t want to know.

 

“Look, but seriously,” Rhodey said, taking a breath before trying again, “you should stay away from Ward.  He’s just going to end up hurting you.” And he didn’t mean emotionally. Rhodey hadn’t forgotten about the way Tony had limped for three days, or the red cheek and finger-shaped bruises.

 

Tony rolled his eyes.  “Fine,” he relented. “I won’t sleep with Grant. Happy?”

 

Rhodey almost said ‘yes’, but then paused.  He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “You seeing anybody else?” he demanded.  Tony raised an eyebrow, and Rhodey snorted. “Just stress relief,” he parroted.  “I’m guessing monogamy wasn’t a condition.”

 

“Look, what do you want me to say?” Tony asked.  “I’m bi. I like sex. As long as my grades are kept up and I don’t cause a scandal, my dad doesn’t care what I do.  So why do you?” he asked. He seemed genuinely curious, and Rhodey paused for a moment to gather his thought. He needed to  make Tony understand, not scare him off.

 

“I care because my momma raised me right,” he said at last.  “And because you’re too smart for guys like Ward and Rumlow and that crowd.  You’ve got to have better options.”

 

Tony tipped his head, and then smiled at him slowly.  “Like you?” he purred, shifting so that he was well into Rhodey’s space.

 

Rhodey took an abrupt step back, then grimaced as he realized how that could be interpreted.  “Sorry,” he said, “but I like girls.” Tony just shrugged and sauntered towards his closet, stripping off his shirt as he moved.  But Rhodey could practically see the dejection in the slump of his shoulders. “Damn, you’re skinny,” he muttered under his breath.

 

Tony snorted.  “Have you seen yourself?” he retorted.  “You’re like...a bean pole or something!”

 

Rhodey stared at Tony’s back, watching the red creep up the back of his neck.  “A bean pole?” he repeated incredulously. “Who even says that anymore?”

 

Tony’s flush deepened.  “Knock it off,” he muttered.  There was a pause as he shoved his head through a fresh t-shirt.  “Jarvis...my butler,” he explained, “his wife used to call him a bean pole.  I picked it up from her.”

 

Rhodey grinned; he liked it when he got these small glimpses into his roommate’s home life.  So far, he’d learned that Tony and his dad didn’t get along, that Tony adored his mother, and now that his family had had a butler who Tony was apparently acquainted with well enough to have picked up on small jokes between him and his wife.  “Aw,” he cooed, coming up behind Tony and reaching out to ruffle his hair. It wasn’t hard; Tony was nearly half a foot shorter than him.

 

“Get off!” Tony snapped at him, swatting at his hand half-heartedly.  Rhodey laughed, ruffling his hair one more time before pulling away. Tony rubbed idly at his hair, trying to straighten it as he glared at Rhodey.  “Jerk,” he muttered.

 

“I’m wounded,” Rhodey told him, grinning.  “So wounded.”

 

Tony flipped him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey catches sight of Grant Ward cornering Tony and intervenes. He realizes that Tony is sleeping with Ward (and possibly others) and asks him to stop, because those guys are bad news. Nothing really gets resolved, but Tony won't go back to Ward in future chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a super short chapter. It was supposed to be longer, but it wouldn't cooperate, so I cut it off. I should hopefully have the next chapter up by this weekend!

Tony was in another one of his moods.  Irritable and restless and talking a mile a minute whenever he bothered to open up his mouth.  Rhodey had tried to ignore it, but by the fifth time Tony had slammed a dresser drawer or door shut, he’d had enough.

“C’mon, man, I’m trying to work here!” he complained, setting down his tools.  He wasn’t terribly good at working with tiny components to begin with, what with his larger hands that felt wide and unwieldy when he was messing with something the size of a watch battery, but between Tony’s pacing and the noise, he wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Sorry,” Tony said automatically, sounding almost contrite.  Rhodey just sighed and picked up the computer chip again, carefully clamping it before trying to insert it into its slot.  Tony threw himself onto his bed, the headboard smacking against the wall.  Rhodey paused, closed his eyes, sighed, and set the tools down before turning his chair to face Tony.  

“Look,” he started.  “Something is obviously bothering you.  So how about you tell me what it is so we can deal with it and I can maybe get some work done?”  He thought it sounded reasonable, but Tony’s mulish expression said otherwise.

“My  homework’s done,” he pointed out.  “It’s not my fault yours isn’t.”

Rhodey narrowed his eyes.  “It is if you keep distracting me,” he refuted.  Tony turned away so his back was facing Rhodey, and Rhodey grimaced.  It was true that he might’ve procrastinated on this last assignment. Just a little.  Mostly because he hated the subject matter.  He wanted to work with airplanes, not computers.  That was more Tony’s thing.

“What do you normally do when you’re bored?” he asked, wondering if he was going to regret asking.

Tony twisted a bit so he could give Rhodey his patented ‘you’re being obtuse’ glare.  “I go to a party and find somebody to fuck,” he snapped.  Yep, Rhodey definitely regretted asking.

“Well, sorry, but I don’t swing that way,” he said lightly, then held up the small chip he’d been tinkering with.  “What do you know about programming drones?”

Tony blinked, looked at him, looked at the chip, then looked at him again.  Slowly, he smiled.  “Must I do everything for you?” he complained lightly, but his restlessness had eased somewhat at the prospect of a challenging assignment, and Rhodey shrugged, secretly pleased with himself.

“I wouldn’t say  _ everything _ ,” he hedged, grinning as Tony walked over to lean against his back, peering over his shoulder at the diagram in the book.

“First of all,” Tony told him, “toss the book.  That diagram sucks.”

Rhodey raised his eyebrows.  “The book has the instructions, Tony,” he pointed out.

Tony rolled his eyes.  “The book has instructions that aren’t meant to be understood by anybody,” he countered.  “The person that wrote it obviously doesn’t speak Latin.  Or English, for that matter,” he added derisively.  Rhodey hid his grin, but Tony just leaned harder on him with a grin of his own, his bad mood forgotten.

“Fine, fine,” Rhodey grumbled, closing the book and shoving it to the corner of his desk.  “How bad can it be?”

“Trust me,” Tony said.

And to his surprise, Rhodey did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tony doesn't make it back in time for a planned night in, Rhodey goes looking for him. And gets into a fight. Fury is a campus nurse (and he is not happy about being awake in the middle of the night)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot is implied, but nothing actually happens. Just as a warning. Because these guys are jerks. 
> 
> Also, if anybody who reads this actually went to MIT and was fond of Senior Haus, I know only what internet research has provided me with. I used it mostly for its reputation for accepting people that don't necessarily fit into streamline student life.

Over the next several weeks, Rhodey found himself spending more and more time with Tony.  He still went to classes and hung out with his friends, still played random pick-up games of basketball or rugby on warm days.  But when he wasn’t doing that? He was usually with Tony, arguing over homework or complaining about their professors. Sometimes, when they were both caught up on homework - or procrastinating, because that’s what college kids did, right? - they’d settle on their beds and watch ridiculous sci-fi movies or play games on the Playstation.  Tony had somehow managed to rig the device to play any format, which was impressive considering it even played MS:DOS files. Rhodey hadn’t even known those games still existed.

 

Tony, for his part, seemed perfectly happy to spend time in the dorms when he wasn’t in class or building robots.  He’d converted one of the empty bedrooms into a lab space, which Rhodey was pretty sure was against campus regulations, but he figured that Tony’s dad had the money to pay for any ensuing damages, so he didn’t protest.  Much.

 

Spending time together had become commonplace enough that when Tony didn’t show up on Friday night for their usual pizza and Star Trek marathon - they were slowly working their way through all of them - Rhodey noticed.  He didn’t think much of it at first, figuring Tony had probably gotten caught up in programming. Or maybe he had finally convinced Pepper to go on a date with him. The two of them had been dancing around each other for months, though Rhodey suspected that Pepper’s reluctance had more to do with the company Tony had been keeping than anything against him specifically.

 

Around midnight, he sent Tony a text, reminding him that Tony had promised to check out his battle robot on Saturday morning.  Tony didn’t reply, and Rhodey frowned, worry niggling at him. Tony didn’t always keep to a schedule, but he was pretty good about replying promptly to texts.  Mostly because he was bored in classes and had nothing better to do than to play games on his phone.

 

He sent off another text.

 

_ You okay, Tones? _

 

Standing, he gripped the phone tightly in his hand while he waited for it to ring.  There was nothing, and Rhodey scowled. Scanning his contacts list, he picked another name from the list and sent a different text.

 

_ Have you seen Tony? _

 

This time, a reply came swiftly.   _ No.  Party at Senior House, maybe? _

 

Rhodey frowned down at his phone.  He had forgotten there was a party on campus tonight.  The Senior House was a rather unconventional community, by university standards.  Rhodey and Tony had both spent some time there, but it had made Rhodey uneasy, though he couldn’t pinpoint why, exactly.  Tony had skipped the last party held at the dorm, choosing instead to work on some kind of program that he refused to let Rhodey see.  All he would say about it was that he was making something special for the Jarvises. Rhodey hadn’t pried.

 

He thanked Sam before hanging up the phone.  Sam was part of the robotics club with Tony. He also tended to know when and where the parties were happening, even though he rarely attended them.  Sam was a popular guy, and even Tony seemed to like him.

 

Rhodey debated with himself for a few minutes.  He didn’t want to appear to be checking up on Tony, as that was a sure way to get his roommate’s hackles up, but he also knew that Tony tended to keep his promises when he made them.  Sure, he might lose track of time, but Rhodey’s text should’ve been enough to jolt him out of an engineering haze or whatever if that was the case. And Rhodey knew the sort of people went to Senior House parties.  Sure, there were the nice ones, like Sam and Hank and Peter, but people like Ward and Rumlow and Castle also attended those parties, and Rhodey couldn’t help but worry. Ward didn’t seem like the kind of guy who dealt well with being blown off, especially not by a freshman.

 

His mind made up, Rhodey got up and moved over to his closet, pulling out a pair of black jeans and a well-loved red turtleneck.  He’d just go over to Senior House and see if Tony was there, and if the kid questioned him, he’d just tell him that he’d been bored and needed some fresh air.  It wasn’t like the parties were invitation only, after all.

 

Leaving the dorm, Rhodey made his way across campus, watching various couples or groups of friends doing the same, the low chatter of voices interspersed with laughter and music.  The noise got louder as he approached the Senior House, the low thrum of voices barely heard over the pounding base. Rhodey greeted a couple of people he knew with a smile before making his way inside, giving his eyes a minute to adjust.  Somebody had managed to get hold of a couple of strobe lights - probably battery-powered - and had hung them from the ceiling. People mingled, dancing or eating or just gathered together in groups, shouting to be heard over the music. Rhodey felt the thrum in his bones as he moved further into the building, his eyes peeled for a scrawny dark-haired teen.

 

After covering the makeshift dance floor and the food tables, Rhodey made his way to the stairs, the door muffling the music to a dull throb.  Debating, Rhodey made his way up to the third floor, wandering past familiar murals and nearly stumbling over a pair of wrestling kittens. A couple of the residents called out to him, and Rhodey waved back.  Catching sight of a group of oddballs that he and Tony hung around with on occasion, he greeted them before asking, “Anybody seen Tony around?”

 

“Nope,” Ellie told him dismissively - she didn’t really care for Tony’s cavalier, mouthy attitude, especially after Stark had accidentally outed one of her best friends.  He had been suitably apologetic, and Chavez had already forgiven him, but the moody goth had remained unimpressed.

 

“I saw him!” Yukio piped up, flashing Rhodey a smile.  Ellie just rolled her eyes, but didn’t contradict her girlfriend.  “He was with that handsome sophomore. Um...Grant?” she asked, looking over at Ellie, who nodded.

 

“Yeah, Grant and his group,” she said, shrugging.  “Seemed like he was having a good time.” But Rhodey was already gone, following the direction Yukio had helpfully pointed him in.  Tony had already turned down Grant Ward once, and had promised Rhodey that he was done with him, but if Grant had gotten some of his buddies to help him corner Tony, then that couldn’t be a good sign.

 

Rhodey heard them before he saw them, and he pulled out his phone, ready to call security if he had to.  “Get off of me!” Tony was demanding, his voice angry, but not scared. Not yet.

 

“Aw, and here I thought you liked us on you,” was the much deeper reply.  Rumlow. “Or is that in you?” he mused, his friends laughing like he was the most clever person they’d ever heard.  Rhodey grit his teeth, only vaguely aware that he was being followed. He glanced back at Yukio, who gave him a tiny wave, and then over to Ellie behind her, who just glared.  But she was there, which meant that she was willing to help if Tony really was in trouble, and Rhodey nodded his thanks, his eyes flicking back to take in Kurt as well. The kid was scrawny, but fast.

 

There was a thick sound of flesh on flesh, and Tony yelped.  “Ow, you fucker!” he snarled. “I’m gonna -” Another smack cut him off.

 

“You’re gonna what?” Ward mocked him.  “Tell your daddy? I’m so scared!” More raucous laughter, and Rhodey had heard enough.

 

“He’s gonna kick your ass, is what he’s going to do,” he said, stepping around the corner and eyeing the group of upper classmen.  There were eight of them, all bigger and broader than Rhodey.

 

Tony glared at him, then turned back to Ward.  “Leave them out of this,” he said. “Just tell me what you want.”

 

Ward leered at him, and Tony’s lip curled up in disgust.  “Really?” he asked. “What’s wrong? You can’t get it from somebody your own age?  Or maybe you just like ‘em young.”

 

“Why, you little--,” Ward started, and Rhodey moved, aware that there was a growing group of people behind them.  This little skirmish was not going to do Senior House any good, but he couldn’t just stand by and let them beat the shit out of Tony, either.  Or worse.

 

Later, he wouldn’t remember most of the fight.  He remembered grabbing Ward by the front of his shirt and yanking him away from Tony, who had then tripped Rumlow when the guy had gone to punch Rhodey.  After that, it was just fists and feet and a lot of yelling. Rhodey was pretty sure that he saw Janet Van Dyne execute a flawless throw and send Castle to the ground.  Ellie and Yukio tag-teamed Garrett.

 

The fight was eventually broken up by Mr. Coulson, one of the few campus security staff members that the students actually respected.  Mostly because they’d gotten a chance to witness him single-handedly break up a mini riot between rival sports. He’d been the talk of the campus for a while, and everybody knew better than to cross him.

 

The whole lot of them were shuffled off to the nurse’s office.  Fury had not been happy to be woken up in the middle of the night to tend to a bunch of rowdy students.  He’d slapped a couple of bandaids on cuts and dosed a few of them with medicine that, as far as Rhodey could tell, served no actual purpose but tasted absolutely awful.

 

Most of them were let go after that, but Tony, who’d apparently managed to get his head slammed into the wall and had been bleeding rather heavily from a shallow gash, was kept for ‘observation’.  Which meant that Rhodey got to stay, too. Mostly so he could keep Tony out of Fury’s way. Tony had helpfully pointed out that letting him go back to his dorm would also get him out of Fury’s non-existent hair, but that had only served to get him an extended sentence, in case he had a concussion.

 

“Dammit, Tone,” Rhodey complained, settling into the uncomfortable plastic chair next to the only slightly more comfortable bed, “you couldn’t just be quiet for another thirty seconds? I almost had us out of here, man.”

 

Tony grinned at him, his eyes bright.  “Don’t be stupid, platypus. You know Fury wasn’t going to let us go.  He’s friends with dad, so I’m stuck here at least until morning. I just wanted to make sure you got stuck with me, so you can keep me company.”

 

Rhodey stared at his friend and roommate in disbelief.  “Seriously?” he demanded. “And what am I supposed to do for the next eight or nine hours?  Because let me tell you something, this chair? Not. Comfortable.”

 

Tony blinked, then looked around, frowning when he realized that there was only one bed in the nurse’s office.  Being a college campus, most of the students had actual doctors nearby, or they could communicate with the MedLink personnel assigned to their building for basic help and over the counter medications.

 

“Well, that sucks,” Tony commented, “but it’s not a big deal.  You can sleep with me. I...think the bed’s big enough,” he said, eyeing the bed’s dimensions skeptically.  Rhodey was skeptical, too.

 

“Thanks, but no,” he refused.  “I’ll just make do.” He slouched a bit more in his chair, trying not to grimace at the way his back was already complaining.  He’d be hobbling around like a ninety-year-old with a broken hip come morning.

 

Tony frowned at him.  “Then you take the bed, and I’ll take the chair,” he offered.

 

Rhodey gave him an amused look. “Really?” he drawled.  “Pretty sure that ‘stay in that bed until morning if you want to leave this room ever again’ means you should probably do as ordered.”  Tony grimaced, but didn’t argue. Fury wasn’t a man known for making idle threats.

 

Tony considered him for a long moment.  “Is it because I’m bi?” he asked at last, which started Rhodey enough to look up.  Tony’s eyes narrowed at him. “That’s it, isn’t it?” he demanded. “You’re afraid I’ll try something or….something,” he said, waving his hand around.  “I won’t. I promise.”

 

Rhodey sighed, unfolding his lean frame from the chair and wincing as his knees protested the change in position.  “I know you wouldn’t, Tony,” he said. “You’re pretty respectful about boundaries.” He considered. “At least where sex is concerned,” he amended.  “You do, however, tend to flirt with anything that moves, and you probably have no idea what personal space is. Scoot over.”

 

Tony blinked at him for a moment, confused, and then his eyes widened and he scrambled to do as he’d been told, holding the covers up for Rhodey to slide under them. It was, as Rhodey had suspected, a tight fit, but it was definitely more comfortable than sleeping in the chair or on the floor would have been.

 

Once they were rearranged somewhat comfortably (it was a good thing Tony was so short, and they were both pretty skinny), Tony muttered, “D’you think he only keeps one bed in here to keep out visitors?”

 

Rhodey laughed out loud.  “Probably,” he agreed. “You set your alarm?” he checked next. Tony nodded, the top of his hair brushing against Rhodey’s chin.  “Good. Then get some sleep, okay?” Fury was pretty sure Tony didn’t have a concussion, but that didn’t stop him from insisting that they  _ both _ wake up every hour to double-check.  Rhodey was going to do it anyhow because he wanted to make sure Tony was okay, but a part of him wondered if all of this was absolutely necessary.

 

“You’re thinking too loud,” Tony muttered.

 

Rhodey huffed.  “That’s usually my line,” he sniped back, but he settled in, trying to ignore how awkward it was to be sleeping with the kid he was pretty sure was probably his best friend in the world right now.  

 

Tony just huffed.  “Sleep,” he ordered, then closed his eyes firmly.  Rhodey smiled and closed his as well. 

 

Whatever.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the fight....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note: A friends with benefits sort of relationship between a straight male (Rhodey) and bisexual male (Tony) begins in this chapter. If this is something that bothers you, please consider yourself warned.

“We are never doing that again,” Rhodey told his roommate the next morning as they escaped the nurse’s office.  Fortunately, it was a Saturday, so they could actually go back to their dorm and take hot showers and get some fresh clothes without having to worry about classes.

 

Tony was scowling, glaring at his phone.  His father had called around two hours earlier, demanding an explanation and threatening to pull Tony from the school if he caused any more problems.  Apparently Howard wasn’t the understanding one in the family.

 

“Tell that to Ward,” he snapped back.  “It’s not my fault he’s too dumb to know the proper definition of ‘fuck off’.”  Rhodey hid his grin behind his hand, but Tony wasn’t looking at him, busy shoving his phone in his pocket.  By the time he looked up, Rhodey had schooled his expression into something more serious and less amused.

 

“Well, it’s over now,” he said.  “And I’m pretty sure Coulson’s going to be keeping an eye on everybody for a while.”  Tony grimaced; Coulson was one of the few adults he respected on campus, and disappointing him was not something he tried to do.  Rhodey gripped Tony’s shoulder, not saying anything when Tony leaned just slightly into the touch. “It’ll be fine. Pretty sure Coulson’s on our side on this one.”  Not that he’d said anything, but he’d very pointedly kept Ward’s group separated from Rhodey and Tony. Ellie and Yukio had slipped off on the walk to the nurse’s office and taken Janet with them.  Coulson had pretended not to notice. The only reason Tony hadn’t tried the same had been because Coulson was right behind him the whole way.

 

They made it back to their dorms, and Tony flopped immediately down on his bed.  Rhodey grinned. “Didn’t you get enough sleep last night?” he teased. One brown eye glared up at him from the bed, and his grin widened.  “Oh, is that how it is? And here I thought you could go for thirty hours straight without sleep.”

 

Tony huffed, rolling over onto his back and tucking his hands behind his head.  “Yeah, when I’m _working_ ,” he stressed.  “But seriously, that was the most boring six hours ever.”

 

Rhodey just shook his head, settling down at his desk and opening his laptop.  “Yeah, well, be that as it may, I still have homework to get done, so you’re going to have to be bored for a bit longer.”

 

Tony pouted up at him.  “It’s not my fault that your teachers give you more homework than mine,” he pointed out.

 

Rhodey raised an eyebrow.  “I’m pretty sure they don’t,” he argued.  “You just have to do most of yours during lab hours.”  Except for whatever project he was working on in the makeshift lab in their dorm.  Tony wouldn’t let Rhodey see it until he was done with whatever it was.

 

Tony gave an aggrieved sigh, and settled down grumpily.  Rhodey started in on his homework, knowing Tony would only be patient for so long.

 

Sure enough, half an hour later and he was distracted and irritable.  “Why don’t you go work on your secret project?” Rhodey suggested pointedly after the fifth time Tony gave a heavy sigh.

 

Tony groaned.  “I can’t. I need more processing power, and I can’t get that until Monday.”  He slipped off the bed and came to stand behind Rhodey, his hands on Rhodey’s shoulders as he leaned over him to see what he was doing.  He scowled. “You’re working ahead,” he accused Rhodey, who just rolled his eyes.

 

“Yes, because I never know when I’m going to have to come drag  your ass out of trouble,” he retorted. “So I have to work ahead so I don’t fall behind.”  That, and the work they were on right now was boring and tedious, and Rhodey didn’t like bored any more than Tony did.

 

“Oh?” Tony purred, leaning a little more heavily on Rhodey’s shoulders and letting his hands drop down his chest.  “You know, you could just….keep me out of trouble,” he suggested.

 

Rhodey turned his head to look up at the younger boy.  “Uh huh,” he said, “because that’s worked well so far.”

 

Tony’s smile was both charming and suggestive, and Rhodey wondered how long ago he’d learned to smile like that.  And why. “You just haven’t found the right distraction yet,” he said.

 

Rhodey might play dumb, but he knew exactly what Tony was suggesting.  He wasn’t exactly being subtle.And the thing was, Rhodey didn’t really have a problem with it, beyond Tony’s age.  He might be straight, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t experimented. A bit. With a few friends from back home that didn’t make things weird.

 

He turned around in his chair, reaching out to grip Tony’s hips and holding the smaller teen between his legs.  “Tony,” he said, “look, you’re a good-looking guy, and I like you, but I’m straight, and you’re not, and that’s not fair to you.”

 

Tony cocked his head.  “Why not?” he asked. “I mean, you like girls.  I do, too. I just happen to like guys as well. It keeps my options open.”

 

Rhodey rolled his eyes, but didn’t remove his hands.  “And now we know the real reason,” he muttered sotto voice.  Tony laughed, taking a half-step forward. The smile fell away as he stared down at Rhodey, and Rhodey stared back.

 

“Tell me if you don’t want this,” Tony told him, leaning down and pausing, his hands on Rhodey’s shoulders for balance.

 

Rhodey answered him by tilting his head and brushing his lips against Tony’s cheek.  “It’s fine,” he breathed. “But I’m going to insist on exclusivity, you know.” He didn’t have a girlfriend at the moment anyhow, and he was pretty sure Tony didn’t have anybody regular, either.

 

Tony grinned.  “Friends with benefits?” he suggested lightly.  Rhodey hummed in vague agreement, pulling Tony closer so that the younger boy straddled his lap.  Tony twisted to kiss him properly, warm and wet and nothing at all like kissing a girl. Rhodey found that he didn’t really care.  If this would keep Tony occupied and away from guys like Ward, Rhodey was okay with it. Besides, Tony was smart and funny and good-looking, and if he was a girl, Rhodey would have asked him out weeks ago.

 

As Tony’s hands slipped down his chest, Rhodey stopped thinking, just enjoying the moment.  There would be plenty of time to talk. Later.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey gets to meet Tony's project.

Rhodey waited impatiently, keeping his eyes closed like he’d promised Tony he would.  His friend had wanted to blindfold him, and Rhodey had flatly refused, but had promised to close his eyes until Tony said he could open them.  So now he was standing just inside Tony’s makeshift workshop, waiting with his eyes closed and listening to something moving across the floor and beeping.  “Shh,” Tony hissed, and Rhodey wondered who - or what - he was talking to.

“Can I look yet?” he asked.

“Just a minute,” Tony replied distractedly.  “Come on, left.  No, your other left,” he sighed, and Rhodey grinned, eager to see just what it was that Tony had been working on so diligently for the last two weeks.  “I swear, I’m going to strip you down to your bolts and reprogram you with Mindstorm.”  A series of excited beeps, and Tony laughed.  “Of course that sounds good to you.”

A few seconds later, and Tony said, “Okay, sourpatch, you can look now.”  There was a curious-sounding trill as Rhodey opened his eyes.  Tony wasn’t looking at him, talking instead to the…one-armed robot on wheels that was pointed at him, a three-pronged claw at the top opening and closing restlessly as it rotated this way and that.  Rhodey had the crazy thought that it was staring at him curiously.  “Dummy, meet Rhodey.  Rhodey, Dummy,” he introduced them.

“You called your robot dummy?” Rhodey asked incredulously, shifting forward.  The robot rolled backwards, then paused when Tony didn’t move, the arm turning towards Tony before rotating back towards Rhodey.  The bot moved forward again.  When Rhodey made no further moves, it considered him, then inched forward again.

“No, not Dummy,” Tony corrected.  “DUM-E.  Designation: Useful Mechanical Entity,” Tony explained, his tone proud.  “He’s going to help me with projects.”

Rhodey blinked, then looked at the robot again.  “He’s an AI?” he asked, sliding easily into Tony’s use of pronouns for the robot.

Tony shrugged.  “He’s a learning-capable machine,” he said.  “Definitely wouldn’t pass the Turing Test, though.”

Rhodey grinned.  “Naw, that doesn’t matter,” he said, holding out his hand for DUM-E to inspect.  “Hello there!  My name is James Rhodes.  I’m a friend of Tony’s.  It’s a pleasure to finally get to meet you.”  There was no need to be rude just because the robot didn’t speak human.

The claw considered his hand for a moment, then the pinchers reached out and closed carefully on Rhodey’s hand.  He grinned, delighted.  Tony was watching their interaction closely, and when Rhodey glanced over, he smiled at him.  “Thank you,” he said quietly.

Rhodey blinked at him.  “For what?” he asked.  “He’s amazing, Tony! You should be proud.”

And now Tony was blushing, and it was kind of adorable.  Rhodey didn’t even think about it before drawing the other boy in for a hug.  “Congratulations,” he murmured to the top of Tony’s head.

Tony tipped his head up to look at him, smiling impishly.  “What? No congratulations kiss?” he teased.

Rhodey rolled his eyes, but dipped down to kiss Tony chastely on the mouth, pulling away before he could squawk out his indignation.  “How much does DUM-E here know about kisses?” he asked, running one hand down the bot’s arm and grinning when DUM-E mimicked the movement, sweeping a claw from his shoulder to his elbow.  Tony fell abruptly silent, and when Rhodey looked over, he was blushing again.  “Wait.  Did you show him porn or something?” Rhodey demanded.

“What? No!” Tony protested. “He’s like….a week old!  That would be wrong!”

Rhodey laughed.  In the two weeks since they’d been messing around, Tony hadn’t been pushy - well, not any more than usual - and he’d been really sweet about the whole thing.  Mostly, if Rhodey was willing to give him cuddles and kisses, he was perfectly content to hold off on the rest until Rhodey was comfortable.  His sixteenth birthday was coming up soon, and Rhodey was looking forward to it.

“I’m glad you like him,” Tony said quietly.

Rhodey ruffled his hair.  “Of course I like him, Tony,” he said.  “He’s like your kid or something.  How could I not?”

The enthusiastic kiss didn’t surprise him, and Rhodey let the other boy push him back against one of the workbenches that lined the workshop’s aisles, enjoying the heat and pressure of the lean body pressed against his, the slender arms wrapped firmly around his waist.  When Tony pulled back to breathe, Rhodey grinned at him.  “So….when are you going to give him a brother?” he asked.

Tony’s shout of mock outrage almost overrode DUM-E’s enthusiastic trilling.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graduation day. And cuddling. And good-byes.

“That was exhausting,” Rhodey muttered, letting his robe drop to the floor and tossing his cap onto the table.

“You could have skipped it,” Tony pointed out from where he was sprawled on the bed, lying on his stomach with a thick engineering book open in front of him.  DUM-E was rolling back and forth across the floor, chirping.  He raised his claw in greeting, and Rhodey obligingly waved back.  “Don’t encourage him,” Tony said.

“Ma would’ve killed me if I hadn’t walked across that stage,” Rhodey told him, dead serious.  “And I don’t see why I shouldn’t.  He’s a good bot,” he said.  DUM-E whirred, obviously pleased with the praise.  For a bot that couldn’t speak, DUM-E was remarkably adept at communicating.  Rhodey still delighted in him every time they met.

Tony snorted.  “Yeah,” he agreed, his tone only slightly bitter.  Rhodey knew why and didn’t hold it against him; he was being remarkably supportive, considering the fact that his father hadn’t even bothered to RSVP.  His mother had called a few days earlier and apologized, telling Tony that she had a charity function that night and it would take her all day to get ready, and she needed the Jarvises to help her.  So Tony hadn’t bothered to go to commencement, even though Rhodey had assured him that his Ma would be more than happy to have  _ two sons _ to fawn over.

“Yeah, well, I appreciate you waiting for me,” Rhodey told him.  Tony shrugged; he’d called the Stark’s driver and told him not to come until tomorrow morning, so he would get a chance to say good-bye to Rhodey after the graduation.  It was sweet, in a very Tony Stark kind of way.

Rhodey walked over to the bed and leaned down over the top of Tony’s head.  Tony obligingly took his attention away from his book and lifted his face for a kiss.  Rhodey grinned.  “Wanna send the kid to bed?” he murmured.  “I believe I owe you a thank you.”  That wasn’t it at all, really; he was just unbearably fond of Tony right now, and kind of sad.  Tonight was their last night.  After this, Tony would go back home to learn the ropes of the family business, and Rhodey would be on his way to the Air Force.  They might never cross paths again, though Rhodey hoped that they would, someday.  And a part of him - the really selfish part - wanted to give Tony something to remember him by.

Tony paused, then looked up at Rhodey seriously.  “Rhodey, you don’t have to do anything,” he said after a moment.  “I like what we do just fine.”  And he did.  As far as Rhodey knew, Tony hadn’t gone seeking other….entertainment, since the first day Rhodey had kissed him.  It was flattering, really, even if Rhodey sometimes felt bad because he knew he couldn’t give Tony everything he needed.  There was just a lot he wasn’t comfortable with, and that Tony hadn’t pushed for more was, quite frankly, amazing.  Maybe he’d been afraid he’d chase Rhodey away for good, and the older boy couldn’t deny that it was a distinct possibility.

“I know,” he said.  “But after this, I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”  He smiled, curling one finger through Tony’s hair.  The genius really needed a haircut.  “You’ll have to pay my way so I can come visit when I have a free weekend.”  Tony had offered that months ago, and Rhodey had readily agreed.  He was absolutely not ashamed to take advantage of the Stark fortune.  “And I’m not asking for anything I’m not comfortable with,” he added lightly.  “Promise.”

Tony eyed him suspiciously, but then shrugged, closing his book and rolling over.  “Sure, why not?” he asked nonchalantly.  “One for the road and all, yeah?  DUM-E, go charge,” he ordered.  The bot considered that for a moment, and Rhodey could practically see the moment the bot decided not to protest.  DUM-E gave a mournful whine, but trundled off.

“Thanks, bud,” Rhodey told him.  “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”  DUM-E chirped at him, somewhat mollified, and made his way back to his charging station in the lab.  He’d stay there for the rest of the night.

“Now what?” Tony said, sitting up.  

Rhodey grinned.  “Strip?” he suggested, then proceeded to do just that, pulling his t-shirt over his head and slipping out of his jeans.  He hadn’t bothered to dress nicely today - nobody was going to see him under his robe.  He tossed his clothes over into a corner of the room, leaving on his boxers, and noted that Tony had done the same.  Which meant they were on the same page.  Excellent.

He picked up Tony’s book and brought it over to the desk, slipping a sheet of paper into it as a temporary bookmark, even though he was sure that Tony knew exactly what page he’d been on.  He turned around and made his way back over to the bed.  Tony pulled out a remote and pushed a button, and the ceiling lights turned off, leaving just the dim light from Rhodey’s lamp desk on.  Rhodey climbed into the bed as Tony scooted over, making room for him.  Once he was settled on his back, Tony curled up against his side, and Rhodey pressed a kiss against his temple.

“And here I thought we were going to have sex,” Tony teased, one finger tracing geometric patterns across Rhodey’s skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“We could, if you’d like,” Rhodey offered.  “But I thought you might prefer this tonight.”  He shifted, pulling Tony tighter against him, and the smaller boy pressed his face against Rhodey’s chest, his breath warm against Rhodey’s collarbones.

“Yeah,” Tony agreed.  Then, “Thank you.”

Rhodey looked down, but Tony was studiously not looking at him, his eyes closed.  “For what?” Rhodey asked, his hand shifting to trace down Tony’s arm to his hip and back up again.

“For everything,” Tony said, and Rhodey could feel the way his face heated, his voice muffled against Rhodey’s skin.  “For helping me. For being my friend.  For caring about me.  For liking DUM-E. For not caring about my money.  For this,” he said, gesturing at the two of them, lying there on the bed.

Rhodey smiled.  “It’s my pleasure,” he murmured.  And he meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more chapter after this. A time skip, taking place sometime after the Avengers were formed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, everybody! Mind you, time skip. Takes place sometime after Avengers.

Rhodey strode into the Penthouse Suite, the doors opening for him readily.   _ “Colonel Rhodes, it is good to see you again,” _ Jarvis spoke up, and Rhodey grinned.

 

“Yeah, great to meet you again, too,” Rhodey answered back politely.  “Would you let DUM-E and U know I’ll come by for a visit before I leave?” he asked.

 

_ “It would be my pleasure, Colonel,” _ Jarvis told him sincerely, just as Tony strode out of the elevators.  He was dressed in his preferred outfit for messing around in the workshop; a pair of jeans with tears and burn marks and who-knew-what splashed on them, and a band tee that had been converted into a tank top that showed off his muscular arms.  He had a small cut under one eye and a bruised cheek, but he was grinning like a loon as he strode up to Rhodey and wrapped the taller man in a hug.

 

“Sugarbear!” he greeted, tilting his face up for a kiss which Rhodey obligingly granted him, taking a long moment to savor the taste of coffee and coconut and warm metal that made up Tony’s unique flavor, his tongue sweeping in for a quick taste before retreating, his hands gripping Tony’s hips firmly as he smiled down at the genius.

 

“Hey there, Tones,” he greeted.  “How’s superheroing treating you?”

 

Tony shrugged nonchalantly.  “You know how it is,” he said, waving one hand dismissively.  “Fighting the good fight, taking out the baddies, trying to figure out how to feed a supersoldier and a god.”  His eyes lit up excitedly. “Oh, man, you’ve got to meet Bruce!” he said. “He’s got a big, beautiful brain and some serious rage issues, but when he’s not big and green, he’s just the cutest thing, like a fluffy koala or something, I don’t even know.”

 

Rhodey laughed; it appeared that Tony had a crush, whether he knew it or not.  “I saw him catch you,” Rhodey told him, pleased. “I like him already.” He’d been briefed on the Avengers, so he knew who Doctor Bruce Banner was.  The Hulk had been the one to catch Iron Man when he’d fallen out of the sky, and the one who had jolted Tony enough to jolt the arc reactor back into gear.  He’d been there for Tony when Rhodey couldn’t, and Rhodey would always be grateful for that, even if the Hulk scared him a bit. Just a tiny bit. As in he’d be happy to only ever the big guy from a distance.

 

Tony grinned, obviously pleased that his best friend approved of his newest science bestie.  “Yeah?” he asked. “I’m glad. He’s actually here now, if you wanna meet him,” he offered, and Rhodey was flattered.  It wasn’t often that Tony had somebody he cared about enough to want to introduce to Rhodey.

 

“That would be great, Tones,” he said.  “I also promised DUM-E and U I’d pay them a visit.”  Well, he’d passed a message along through Jarvis, but that counted, right?

 

He got another one of Tony’s charming, genuine smiles as the genius pulled back and led the way to the living room, so the two of them could sit and catch each other up on what was happening in their respective lives.  Now that Rhodey had the War Machine armor, he could visit Tony during his leave without needing to rely on outside transportation. Additionally, he was still the liaison for the military in their negotiations with Stark Industries (who now provided armor and vehicles and prosthetic technology for the military, rather than weapons), or when he was called as backup for Iron Man.

 

Tony pressed up against his side as soon as Rhodey settled on the couch, and Rhodey just wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulders, the gesture as instinctive and natural as it had ever been.  “Rough couple of weeks?” he guessed.

 

“You could say that,” Tony murmured.  “Being on a team is kinda awesome, but it also kind of sucks,” he admitted quietly, and Rhodey hummed his agreement.  As part of the air force, working on a team, knowing that the other guys had his back, was as natural as breathing. You relied on your teammates, on your aerial and ground support, on your commanding officers and your fellow grunts, or you didn’t make it.  Tony had always gone solo, with only a few trusted individuals to back his plays. Rhodey counted himself lucky to still be one of those, especially after how poorly he’d handled Tony’s decision to stop manufacturing weapons entirely, nevermind the stupid decision to take War Machine after knocking a drunk, dying (though he hadn’t known it at the time) Tony on his ass.

 

He’d only realized later that he shouldn’t have been able to take the suit, that it should have been coded to Tony’s biometrics, and only Tony’s, that Tony had  _ wanted _ him to have the War Machine, so that when the Palladium in his chest inevitably killed him, there would still be an Iron Man out there somewhere, defending the earth.  Even dying, Tony had been looking out for other people. That he’d trusted  _ Rhodey _ of all people was both flattering and terrifying.  What if Rhodey failed? What if he let Tony down? Again?

 

Rhodey tightened his grip on Tony as his friend began to speak, occasionally pressing his cheek to the top of Tony’s head, or stroking a hand down his arm.  There was nothing sexual about it - they’d both agreed that what happened at MIT stayed at MIT - it was simply comfort at its most basic, a grounding touch, a soothing voice, easy companionship.

 

By the time Tony had filled Rhodey in on Life With the Avengers, it was nearing dusk.  The two of them were sprawled comfortably across the couch, Rhodey leaning back with Tony on top of him, his legs twined with Rhodey’s, and Rhodey was stroking a hand up and down his back, rucking up his shirt a bit, his other hand pressed gently against the warm skin at Tony’s waist.

 

Rhodey was just considering trying to convince Tony that they should get some food when the elevator doors opened with a soft ping.  Tony seemed uninterested in moving, so Rhodey just tipped his head back, blinking upside down at the man who’d just entered the Penthouse.  “You must be Bruce,” he observed; according to Tony, Bruce was the only one who’d actually stuck around. The others sort of came and went, especially since at least three of them were still working for SHIELD, and Thor had returned to Asgard for an undetermined amount of time.  

 

“Ah, yes,” the other man greeted, removing his glass and wiping them nervously with his shirt.  He looked adorably rumpled, like he’d just crawled out of bed. It actually reminded Rhodey of Tony after he’d come out of a week-long engineering binge.  “And you’re Colonel James Rhodes,” he said after a moment, his tone wary. Rhodey didn’t blame him; the military had done poorly by him.

 

“You can call me Rhodey,” he offered, holding out a hand awkwardly for Bruce to take as he flashed the other man a warm smile.  “I’ve heard so much about you. All good things,” he reassured, watching as Bruce’s shoulders relaxed just the tiniest bit. He didn’t blame the guy; even though he only knew of Ross by reputation, and Air Force was nothing like the Army grunts, he could understand why Bruce would be wary of him.  But any friend of Tony’s was a friend of his. “It’s a real honor to meet you.” Tony looked smug.

 

“Um...thanks?” Bruce said tentatively, like he wasn’t sure if Rhodey was serious or not.  Tony just laughed, drawing Bruce’s attention back to him. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said.  “But the experiment is almost at testing stage, so I thought I’d come see if maybe you wanted to participate.  But if you’re busy, it can wait.”

 

Tony was up and moving before the final words left Bruce’s mouth.  “Science!” he said happily, practically dragging Bruce away. He looked back at Rhodey.  “You coming?” he asked, eyebrows arched.

 

Rhodey smiled, standing and stretching.  “Of course I am,” he agreed. He glanced at Bruce.  “That is, if you don’t mind, of course,” he added.

 

Bruce shook his head and gave Rhodey a small smile.  “Not at all,” he said. “Besides, Tony always says the more, the merrier when it comes to science.”

 

Rhodey grinned.  “I’ll bet.”

 

Tony just rolled his eyes.  “Come on, already!” he insisted.  “Science!” Like that was any kind of argument.  Then again, it was Tony. Science was pretty much his argument for everything.

 

Rhodey just gestured.  “After you,” he said magnamiously.

 

As he strolled leisurely after Tony and Bruce, something warm curled in his chest.  They’d both come a long ways from their college years. And while Rhodey sometimes missed the simplicity of what they’d had, he wouldn’t trade their current relationship for the world.  He was just glad to see Tony so happy. And who knew? Maybe Bruce would join the small group of Tony Stark Wranglers and Protectors.

 

Rhodey nodded to himself, once.  Tony was going to be just fine. He just knew it.


End file.
